Psychiatrist and Psychiatric Pharmacists Beliefs and Preferences for Atypical Antipsychotic Treatments in Patients With Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders.

Background: Selection of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder treatments is complicated by treatment-effect heterogeneity.

Objectives: This study assessed how clinicians' beliefs and health system/ insurace policies impact choice of atypical antipsychotic agent in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted of members of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and College of Psychiatric & Neurologic Pharmacists. Beliefs regarding atypical antipsychotic effectiveness and safety, impact of comorbidity on drug selection, and factors influencing atypical antipsychotic therapy selection were assessed.

Results: Twenty-four psychiatric pharmacists and 18 psychiatrists participated. Mean age was 39.6 years, 57.1% were female. Most clinicians (64.3%) believed medication effectiveness and safety equally important, while 26.2% believed safety and 9.4% believed effectiveness more important. The most important medication properties for schizophrenia were reducing positive symptoms (92.7%) and hospitalizations (87.8%) and for bipolar disorder were reducing manic episodes (87.8%), episode relapse (53.7%), and hospitalizations (53.7%). Agranulocytosis (78.1%), arrhythmias (70.7%), and extrapyramidal side effects (68.3%) were most concerning. Restrictions affected antipsychotic choice at 80.5% of sites and were believed to affect medication adherence (55.0%) and outcomes (53.4%).

Conclusion: Efficacy and safety were considered equally important when choosing atypical antipsychotics. Formulary restrictions were perceived as impacting treatment choice and outcomes.